HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0414.001 1998-2000 ~ ~ ~ ,c ~ ...'L
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July 8, 1999
Mr. Domonic Yagong, Chair, Public Works & Park Committee
Hawaii County Council
25 Aupuni Street
Hilo, HI 96740
Dear Mr. Yagong:
Public transportation has been of great concern in Kona. Currently the
large distances that must be covered coupled with the relatively small population
have resulted in inadequate services to people living at or below poverty level.
These aze the people who cannot afford to buy a car or afford insurance even if
they could obtain the vehicle. Another segment of the population that has been
without adequate transportation are those people limited by disability who will not
be able to get a driver's license due to their limiting conditions. Several
questions as to the current system arise:
I) When the County uses federal funds to build and operate their public transportation
terminals at the airports, is it not required that highway transportation be linked so all
segments of the population can take advantage of the public service?
2) At the present time Hawaii County is funding public busses to transport people from
the Hilo area to the hotels on the Kohala Coast to get them to work and back. These
busses are underutilized and remain at the hotel sites all day. Could there be a way to
coordinate their use so that they are available during the down time to take students
from the Kealakehe & Waikaloa azeas to after schools sports activities or afrernoon
employment in the Kona area?
3) The same situation of using busses subsidized by the County for tourist related
business exists with busses used to bring tourists from the Pier in Kona to the
concessions. If there can be that level of coordination with Cruise ships schedules and
the public busses, could there not be coordinated use of the busses on a fixed route
system?
We request that the County Council consider our recommendations to look at:
a) the compliance of federal regulations involving access to the air terminals, b)
the feasibility of changing from a commuter mode of transportation to a fixed
routes system and c) utilizing the publicly financed capitol equipment and
operations for the public busses to better serve the entire population of the island.
Thank you for your consideration,
C~ i ~w.
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Gretchen Lawson
Kona Resident Comm. No, T ~ T. 0 0 /
File No._ P U
Ref. To: P W P C-
Ref. Date AUK 1 R 10gQ